Sage upends rival Tartans

NEWPORT COAST — Set up inside the lobby at Sage Hill School’s gym was the American Red Cross.

There still was some bad blood in the building.

The Lightning played rival St. Margaret’s in a girls’ volleyball battle for first place in the Academy League.

Before taking their seats below, fans saw people lying down on tables after donating blood.

No one rested on the volleyball court Wednesday night.

The Lightning forced a decisive fifth game and went on to win, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 25-14, 15-12, making it the first time in school history they’ve beaten St. Margaret’s at home.

Sage Hill, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA coaches’ poll, is still a long way from claiming its second league crown under Coach Dan Thomassen since 2005.

It didn’t matter to the Lightning (10-10, 4-0 in league). Players and students rushed the court and celebrated like they just won a championship.

“[The school rivalry is] really heated when it comes to sports,” said Sage Hill junior outside hitter Lindsey Kish, who finished with 13 kills and 15 digs.

“We may have friends at their school, but last year we had a displayed stuffed animal dressed up in their uniform and we kicked it.”

Late in the match, the No. 6-ranked Tartans kicked themselves.

This was the first time this season St. Margaret’s (4-1 in league) played a five-game match.

With the scored tied, 12-12, in the fifth game, the Tartans never got on the scoreboard again.

From one of the most unlikely players to record a block, Sage Hill junior Hana Hunt delivered one at a crucial time.

The setter stuffed St. Margaret’s top weapon, outside hitter Jordan Hopper, who recorded 12 kills. Hunt’s block put the Lightning at match point.

What followed next was a blast by senior middle blocker Tierney Danner. No one in the back row touched the ball as Danner clinched it for Sage Hill.

This proved to be the third time the Lightning have defeated the Tartans in their program’s history. The other two were at St. Margaret’s in 2005, when Danner was a freshman.

“Beating them at home is just so much better with all the fans [in the gym],” said Danner, who finished with seven blocks and six kills. “This is probably the biggest amount of fans we have ever had in the history of Sage Hill.”

St. Margaret’s brought a strong contingent.

Unlike previous years, the visiting fans were ready for a close one, even though Thomassen said the Tartans had won 15 out of the previous 17 matches and St. Margaret’s Coach Susie Maga said her school has won outright league titles 11 times in the last 12 years.

No team dominated any of the first three games Wednesday.

The two teams split the first two games, Sage Hill going on a 4-0 run to close out Game 1 and St. Margaret’s holding on to claim the second and third games.

Game 4 belonged to Sage Hill.

The Lightning went on an 18-7 run to even the match. Freshman outside hitter Tess Wohrle keyed the spurt, coming off the bench to smash three of four of her kills.

“For a freshman, that’s impressive,” Thomassen said.

Wohrle wasn’t finished.

In Game 5, she recorded a service ace to give the Lightning a one-point lead early on. Then Wohrle found an open area, putting Sage Hill ahead, 12-10, with a kill.

When the Lightning needed someone to serve well after numerous service errors, junior Madison Gordon-Lavaee came through.

Gordon-Lavaee, who finished with eight kills, two blocks and two aces, delivered enough spin on the ball that St. Margaret’s struggled setting up its offense on the last two serves.

“Amazing,” Kish said of how she felt. “It’s one of the most exciting experiences because they are our rivals.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].